Children's home run by White Lodge Centre in Runnymede

Inspection report children’s home: SC013828 1 SC013828 Registered provider: White Lodge Centre Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home provides short-break care for up to six children who primarily have physical and/or learning disabilities. The home is located on a multi-purpose site and it is operated by a large charitable organisation. The manager has been registered with Ofsted since June 2018.

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good at the last full inspection. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has sustained effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

At the last inspection, the leadership and management was judged to require improvement to be good. At the time of this visit, the registered manager, working closely with the care coordinator, has taken effective steps towards meeting the requirements. This remains a work in progress. Since then, he has relinquished a substantial part of the additional responsibilities within the wider organisation. This has enabled the registered manager to undertake the oversight and monitoring that this role requires. This is beginning to inform more meaningful development plans for the home. The manager receives regular supervision and has had an appraisal. Records of these are succinct. Target setting within the organisation, for individuals and as part of wider plans for the home, is too broad-brush and does not have timescales. This limits the Inspection report children’s home: SC013828 2 effectiveness of targets in development plans, appraisals and supervision because they

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

are not supported by meaningful steps towards end goals.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Designated safeguarding leads have had recent training in the role. The care coordinator gave examples of the learning from this course and how it had influenced her practice. Systems for staff to report any concerns are well established and generally these are referred appropriately to external professionals. There have been two instances where notifications to the regulator have not been made as required. Records of actions taken in response to safeguarding concerns are clear and include a chronology. Not all concerns benefit from a full conclusion or evaluation, missing an opportunity for sharing learning. In some cases, this is due to a lack of information sharing, for example meeting minutes, by the designated officer service (responding to concerns about adults in positions of trust in the local authority). The registered manager has requested this information and has raised it at management level with the local authority.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Monthly fire drills take place and records now show who has participated. Staff observations of children’s responses are used to inform detailed updates to their personal evacuation plans. This is a work in progress to cover all 55 children who use the service and to ensure that staff have the guidance necessary to support children in the event of fire.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

There is now a formal induction pack for use by agency staff new to the home. Agency staff arrive half an hour before the start of their shift to go through the pack and to have the opportunity to ask questions of senior staff. The care coordinator has compiled a list of courses that agency and bank staff have done to ensure that they are equipped for their roles in the home. Despite conscientious work, the registered manager has struggled to find a provider willing to offer the level 3 diploma to staff on zero hours contracts and bank and agency staff fall into this category. Recent changes by the current provider, in particular the proposed phasing out of the level 3 qualification, are also proving a considerable challenge in enrolling newly eligible permanent staff.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff are deployed to meet the needs of the children using the service at any one time. At the time of this visit, seven staff were working with seven children, three of whom were staying overnight. The registered manager’s time in the home is now recorded on the rota.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

One complaint had only been recorded as an incident. The information had been suitably shared with relevant people, but there was not a full record of the actions taken. It is not possible to determine whether the complainant was satisfied with the outcome.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

There are developing systems to record and review the progress that children make. Staff and managers know the children very well and describe their achievements vividly. The language used in progress reports is more generic and does not convey the same sense of the children, their personalities and does not celebrate success as meaningfully as seen in practice by the inspector.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children benefit from thorough transition planning that supports successful short-break Inspection report children’s home: SC013828 3 stays. The planning is determined by the needs of the child and is informed by effective information sharing. This includes visits to the child’s home and school and a series of tea visits to the centre. Consistent staffing of this promotes familiarity for the child and builds confidence for the whole family. Records of this planning are in emails and so do not form part of the child’s history.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children enjoy coming to the home. They are comfortable and relaxed as they initiate and respond positively in their interactions with staff. Staff use a variety of methods tailored to each child to communicate effectively. This enables children to make choices and to express themselves in a fun and safe environment with the level of support that they need.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/08/2018 Full Good 12/12/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness 26/04/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 02/11/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

(a) a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation; (b) an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious; (c) there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there; (d) a child protection enquiry involving a child— (i) is instigated; or (ii) concludes (in which case, the notification must include the 31/03/2019 Inspection report children’s home: SC013828 4 outcome of the child protection enquiry); or (e) there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification by the relevant date. (Regulation 32 (4))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, apply this to agency workers. 14/05/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation. (Regulation 39 (3)) 31/03/2019

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating— any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. (Regulation 45 (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that targets are supported by meaningful steps that can be reviewed and evaluated. 14/04/2019

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Recommendations

 The home’s records on each child represent a significant contribution to their life history. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.5) This specifically relates to records of planning for children starting to use the short-break service.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the differences made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and young people and their families. In addition, the inspectors have tried to understand what the children’s home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people whom it is trying to help, protect and look after.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and Inspection report children’s home: SC013828 5 experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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Information about this inspection

Using the ‘Social care common inspection framework’, this inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: White Lodge Centre, White Lodge, Holloway Hill, Lyne, Chertsey, Surrey KT16 0AE

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Inspector(s)

Maire Atherton, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC013828 6 achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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